Is There Such Thing as an Eco-Friendly Acoustic Guitar?

Tonewoods are less plentiful than in the past

—
Dear EarthTalk: I’m in the market for a new acoustic guitar and I’m wondering what are my options if I care about its impact on the environment? — Angelo Martinez, Scranton, PA

The fact that the so-called “tonewoods” (mahogany, rosewood, spruce, ebony) that guitar makers have relied on for almost two centuries are now harder and harder (and much more expensive) to come by has left guitar makers scrambling to support replanting efforts in far-flung locales and looking for sustainable alternatives that still imbue their instruments with pleasing tonal characteristics and eye-catching good looks.

“Our beloved Brazilian rosewood was taken from us more than 25 years ago [and then] Adirondack spruce was logged out,” reports Bob Taylor, founder of Taylor Guitars, a leading manufacturer of top-quality acoustic guitars that has been on the front lines of greener sourcing. “Today we see the signs of our current woods being diminished to a point of unavailability.”

To help counteract this industry-disrupting trend, Taylor launched a project in 2017 in partnership with the non-profit Congo Basin Institute to help local communities in Cameroon develop and plant different varieties of ebony to boost stocks of the now rare wood prized for use in guitar necks.

“Our goal is to leave a lot more than we are taking,” says Taylor.

Cameroon wants to scale up the Ebony Project — lauded as a global model for how public-private partnerships can be leveraged to mitigate climate change — as a significant contributor to its overall deforestation and forest degradation emissions reduction goals.

Of course, Taylor isn’t the only acoustic guitar maker going big into ethically harvested woods. Martin, the premier American acoustic guitar manufacturer since 1833, is now deep into woods certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), not to mention ebony-alternative fretboards made out of a pressed paper/resin material called Richlite.

Likewise, Oregon-based Bedell makes all of its guitars in the U.S. out of woods certified to be “legally acquired in accordance with domestic and international regulations” regarding trafficking in rare or endangered species and are “ethically sourced” from trees “individually harvested in a manner that leaves the rest of the forest and ecological system as undisturbed as possible.”

And Canada’s Seagull, which hires local talent at its factories and prides itself on its use of reclaimed wood and its support of replanting projects, is yet another pioneer in sustainable acoustic guitar manufacturing.

Another way to avoid depleting wood reserves is by going for a guitar made out of another alternative material. Luna’s Safari Bamboo is a 3/4 size acoustic guitar constructed out of sustainable bamboo and perfect for travelers. McPherson, Emerald, RainSong and KLOS all make high-quality guitars out of carbon fiber. Meanwhile, Blackbird uses Ekoa, a biocomposite derived from linen fiber and plant resin, instead of wood in its guitars.

Of course, the greening of guitars isn’t limited to acoustics. Big electric guitar manufacturers like Fender, Gibson, PRS, Ibanez, Yamaha and others have also been shifting toward sustainably harvested woods and alternative materials as well. And eco-conscious rockers will appreciate Finland’s Flaxwood, which makes svelte-looking electric guitars out of a proprietary composite that reinforces injection-molded thermoplastics with flax-based natural fibers.

EarthTalk® is produced by Roddy Scheer & Doug Moss and is a registered trademark of the nonprofit EarthTalk. To donate, visit www.earthtalk.org. Send questions to: [email protected].

—

What’s Next? Talk with others. Take action.

We are proud of our SOCIAL INTEREST GROUPS—WEEKLY PHONE CALLS to discuss, gain insights, build communities— and help solve some of the most difficult challenges the world has today. Calls are for Members Only (although you can join the first call for free). Not yet a member of The Good Men Project? Join below!

Join The Good Men Project Community

All levels get to view The Good Men Project site AD-FREE. The $50 Platinum Level is an ALL-ACCESS PASS—join as many groups and classes as you want for the entire year. The $25 Gold Level gives you access to any ONE Social Interest Group and ONE Class–and other benefits listed below the form. Or…for $12, join as a Bronze Member and support our mission, and have a great ad-free viewing experience.

Please note: If you are already a writer/contributor at The Good Men Project, log in here before registering. (Request a new password if needed).

◊♦◊

ANNUAL PLATINUM membership ($50 per year) includes:
1. AN ALL ACCESS PASS — Join ANY and ALL of our weekly calls, Social Interest Groups, classes, workshops, and private Facebook groups. We have at least one group phone call or online class every day of the week.
2. See the website with no ads when logged in!
3. MEMBER commenting badge.
***ANNUAL GOLD membership ($25 per year) includes all the benefits above — but only ONE Weekly Social Interest Group and ONE class.
***ANNUAL BRONZE membership ($12 per year) is great if you are not ready to join the full conversation but want to support our mission anyway. You’ll still get a BRONZE commenting badge, and you can pop into any of our weekly Friday Calls with the Publisher when you have time. This is for people who believe—like we do—that this conversation about men and changing roles and goodness in the 21st century is one of the most important conversations you can have today.

♦◊♦

We have pioneered the largest worldwide conversation about what it means to be a good man in the 21st century. Your support of our work is inspiring and invaluable.